93-year-old with 60% burn injuries recovers

Amrit Lal Bahl was brought to the hospital with 60% burns on his body two months ago. And now, the 93-year-old will soon be well enough to return home to his wife Pushpa (85), whose name he kept repeating in the hospital.

Bahl's recovery is an amazing feat because of his advanced age, according to his doctor Sunil Keswani, medical director of the National Burns Centre in Airoli. It is also an example of what timely treatment can deliver.

Alert and being fussed over by his daughter Neelu Lamba, principal at the Hiranandani School in Thane, Bahl talks about growing up in Lahore, his wife, a tattoo he got on his arm as a young child and that fated day.

"When my wife complained of gas smell in the kitchen, I made the mistake of lighting a matchstick to check," says the retired assistant commissioner of Bombay customs. The couple has two sons – Anil and Sunil – and a daughter, Neelu.

The way Bahl talks about life will give serious relationship goals to any young couple. Ask him what he does in his free time and pat comes the reply, "Me and my wife chat. That is how we spend our time."

"They are very independent. They live on the 3rd floor while my brother lives on the 6th floor of the same building. But they insist on being self reliant," says Neelu.

Having grown up in Lahore before Partition, Bahl speaks fondly of the city's beauty. "Those were the days. I got my name tattooed on my arm for just one anna and three paise."